Astrea Maryam
Brief general description of who this character is. Biography Early Sweeps (0-3 Sweeps) Growing up Learning about drinkerdom Manifesting signs of psychic ability Reading and magic The Outside World (3-6 Sweeps) Going out into the city Meeting Treise Drinking Rothan Psychic growing pains Lessons with Vriska Psychic Support Project (6-7 Sweeps) Self control training Seeking a solution to psychic control problems Abandoning magic First fight with Lilith Voyage into Alternia Getting Garrus and Mordin Drinking Vorcha Discovering Dragul Meeting Hannib Jaeger piloting Drinking Verger Second fight with Lilith Deal with A'ira and drinking Hannib Fight with Aphaea Leaving the hive Meeting Callie Powers and Abilities General power & ability brief. Psychic Describe power 1 Detect Life Due to her telepathic ability, Astrea is capable of identifying complex life forms in an approximately two kilometer (1.24 mile) radius. If she makes an effort, she is capable of identifying the type of creatures and even specific identities of the life forms she detects, though this requires more effort at the outer limits of her range. Telepathy Astrea's psychic ability allows her the means to communicate with other trolls psychically. Her skill with subversive manipulation allows her to communicate even through strong psychic barriers and without detection from many forms of psychic eavesdropping. Relative to other psychics however, her range is somewhat limited, though it extends far enough to communicate with other trolls within a city block radius. Persuasion Astrea is capable of implanting and modifying the emotions and disposition of other trolls psychically to sway heavily in whatever direction she chooses. This is a skill she is notably competent with, and is able to make drastic influences on trolls, though more significant persuasions require a conscious effort on her part. While in smaller scales she is capable of performing this action almost subconsciously (and has used it accidentally in times of emotional distress), she regularly prevents herself from doing so, making it more of a suppressed ability than a power she calls upon at will. Astrea is easily capable of using persuasion with very little chance of detection and only if they are making a concerted effort to notice her. In the grand majority of cases, she can make trolls believe that they came to conclusions with no interference with little effort. Manipulation Astrea's psychic subversion abilities allow her to infiltrate the minds of trolls and directly control their muscles, effectively allowing her to hijack other troll's bodies. Due to the nature of this power, she is unable to perform manipulations without the knowledge of the body's proprietor, though she is capable of knocking them unconscious, thereby preventing them from being aware for the duration of the manipulation. Astrea dislikes using manipulation, and therefore is not skilled with more advanced techniques such as having other trolls use their powers (she prefers to use persuasion to convince them to use their powers or not interfere altogether). However, she frequently uses this power to paralyse others or inflict minor wounds or conditions such as headaches for more mundane purposes. Mind Reading Astrea is an extremely capable mind reader, and is skilled in infiltrating and viewing both the conscious and subconscious thoughts of others. For Astrea, this manifests as a sort of book that each troll manifests containing their thoughts and memories. Astrea is able to read the immediate thoughts of others with no effort (in fact, it is an ability she must consciously restrain or ignore), and can make use of memory associations to jump into memories through immediate thoughts (such as rapidly accessing a troll's memories of someone by mentioning their name to them). Astrea's subversion ability means that she is able to peruse the minds of others without their awareness, and only those heavily trained in psychic resistance can detect her. Mind Drinking Astrea has the unique mutation of being able to psychically consume the minds of others. This allows her to absorb the consciousness and memories of a troll in their entirety, effectively leaving her with a copy of their mind within her own, which she can access and use at any time (and with significantly more speed and thoroughness as she would by reading their mind). In cases of trolls with special skills, she is also capable of learning them through a pseudo rote learning method by inspecting their memories, and if she trains sufficiently is able to take on those skills as her own. However, in order to access such skills, she must have the required biological traits to perform them (meaning that she is unable to reproduce the powers of a mutant if they have no basis in normal troll, psychic, or drinker biology, so powers born of genetic mutations are inaccessible to her). Performing the power however is extremely painful (both for the victim and Astrea, by virtue of her gaining those same experiences) and results in the death of the victim. The effort needed to contain another psyche is also very taxing, and can hypothetically lead to the risk of Astrea's consciousness being hijacked by one of the minds she has consumed. She generally prevents this through internal barriers, by transferring the consciousness portion of the psyche into another body, or by absorbing the other consciousness into herself (though as of yet she is not strong enough to perform the latter two options, as the first is an extension of the powers granted to her by Lucife while the second requires a strength of consciousness that can only exist in a fully developed adult psyche). Initially, Astrea was extremely reluctant to use this ability due to the terrible implications it had for others and herself, however she has grown to appreciate its usefulness in dire situations as a means to rapidly gain information. The power of mind drinking is one that has heavily influenced Astrea's development as a psychic, and remains a very important factor for her. Drinker Matron Describe power 3 Relationships General relationship brief. Romantic Treise Corrax Since their first encounter, Astrea and Treise's bond has been strongly tied to their mutual understanding of one another. Astrea deeply appreciates Treise's willingness to be completely open with her as Treise enjoys her appreciation for what he has to say. Even more so, however, is that both are willing to listen to and help each other without trying to interfere or pass judgement on the other. Treise is one of very few people who allows Astrea to communicate directly with him psychically (while most trolls are willing to accept using telepathy, most make a point of requesting that she not prod into their minds). Treise's philosophy that this allows them to share a deeper understanding of each other has generally rung true, and the two have as of yet not encountered a situation where the both of them could not reconcile any differing opinions they might have (and any time they do they make a point not to interfere with each other). This has given them a bond that is stronger than that Astrea shares with most other trolls. In terms of personality, the two trolls share a great deal in common, and generally prefer peaceful diplomacy or tactful approaches to violence or brute force. Both also share a deep passion for intellectual pursuits as well as the goal of helping to better trollkind. However, where Astrea's interests lie more closely to the personal and internal psychology of trolls, Treise concerns himself more with culture and sociological factors. Treise's worldliness contrasts with Astrea's idealist tendencies, though they both consider this a major boon to their relationship. Astrea's relationship with Treise, while concupiscent in nature, is generally non-sexual. As of Astrea's seventh sweep, the couple have not engaged in anything further than hugs as signs of romantic affection (a misunderstanding with Freyea over Treise being encouraging of Astrea's decision to wait once took place, with Freyea thinking it was on the topic of sex, when in reality it was about sharing a first kiss; the subject of other characters sexualising their relationship has come up on several occasions). While this is in part due to their age and neither of them is theoretically against sexual entanglements, this is primarily because they generally find the mental stimulation of intellectual and philosophical discussions to be a more attractive pass-time. Astrea is among the only trolls aware of Treise's alter ego and ancestor Retton Corrax. Due to Retton's very specific role in Treise's psyche, Astrea agreed to his request not to interfere with his presence or reveal him to Treise. Treise, knowing vaguely about his mental blank spot though unable to inspect it, is aware of Astrea's knowledge and remains comfortable in not pursuing the matter with her. Retton is the sole component of Treise's mind that Astrea cannot infiltrate, though she makes no effort to do so, communicating with him only when she specifically has need of his services. The two are on amicable terms otherwise, and Astrea considers Retton to be much like Treise's lusus or parent. Aphaea Serket Astrea cares deeply about her sister, though where she considers Treise to share an almost identical perspective to her own, she views Aphaea as her opposite. In every way that Astrea is calm, reserved, and peaceful, her sister is rough, brash, and aggressive. These traits are frequently the subject of concern for Astrea, who is worried that her sister's behaviour will get her in trouble. In the past, she has often thought that Aphaea's recklessness stemmed from her not understanding the implications for which she could not act on her impulses, though as they grew Astrea learned that it was more often because she did not care. Their fundamental difference in attitudes is frequently the subject of spats between the pair, though Astrea considers it a point of value in a lot of situations, as she believes she can trust her sister to take action when its needed. However, Astrea is also deeply troubled by what she believes to be Aphaea's excesses in her behaviour, particularly with regards to her lack of consideration for the value of life or "good moral character". In many ways, she considers Aphaea to be an example of a "model troll" as per what the current empire may want and believe trolls to be, which conflicts with her belief that that those values are soon to be on their way out. Despite her efforts, she has yet been able to convince her sister to change her ways, and has often been frustrated by Aphaea's own suggestions that her position is the weaker one. Despite her close familial bond from having lived together for so long, over the course of her adolescence Astrea grew progressively more resentful of her sister, in part out of jealousy for her sister not having to deal with the "burdens" of her "terrible" psychic powers, but more significantly because she does not believe Aphaea can understand her. Her sister's lack of familiarity with the experiences Astrea is going through saddens her deeply, as she often wishes to be able to get closer to her sister. However, she simultaneously tries to conceal those troubles, having determined through her past efforts that Aphaea could not sympathise with her on them and that it only served to increase tension between them. Astrea's growing reluctance to share herself with her sister is the cause of a rift between the duo, and Astrea has increasingly looked to others for support with regards to her more unique problems. In her opinion, Aphaea was resistant to any sort of moirail guidance she could muster, while at the same time being unable by virtue of their biological differences to support her with her own problems. This is the cause for Astrea's decision to accept Lucife's aid without consulting her sister. Family Kanaya Maryam Description Freyea Helios Description Vriska Serket Astrea has a conflicted relationship with her mother. Since first learning about her and meeting her, Astrea has held a certain fear for her, particularly due to her violent history (though she has in large part ackowledged that this was in order to feed her lusus, she considers some of her other actions, such as crippling Tavros, killing Aradia, and blinding Terezi, far less justifiable). A large part of Astrea's fear of eventually becomming a violent monster stems from the fact that she inherited her psychic abilities from her. On the other hand, Vriska's guidance in dealing with her powers and showing genuine care for her has not gone unnoticed in the girl, and she does hold a familial affection for her. Since Vriska's growing issues with Kanaya however, Astrea has generally found herself favouring the latter, and considers Vriska's behaviour to be that of an abusive bully, something she unequivocably considers to be monstrous, and therefore has little tolerance for. Vriska's actions were particularly striking to Astrea, as she could see directly the emotional impact it had on Kanaya's mental state, and believed that Vriska could see it as well (due to them sharing psychic powers). When Astrea found that her mother had little remorse for this, she became convinced that she was a volatile element and wanted as little to do with her as possible. Despite her self asserted convictions to this effect, she still considers Vriska to be her mother, and unless reminded of her resentment remains civil, if not affectionate with her. Lilith Helios Description Leiren Creuze Description Jarren Helios Astrea affectionately considers Jarren to be a sort of brother figure to her, and in some ways thinks of him as a calmer more manageable version of her sister. Much like Leiren, Astrea enjoys teasing Jarren for his stiff attitude, which she finds particularly amusing when she herself is sometimes considered stiff by her sister. Due to their shared mutanthood and psychic traits, Astrea feels that she and Jarren have a special bond, though she occasionally finds herself shocked when he responds angrily at her attempts to understand the social implications it holds. She finds herself saddened when she is reminded that due to her unique upbringing and higher hemostatus, she has a certain privilege that prevents her from sharing Jarren's perspective (at least directly). In part it is because of these reminders that she considers a scientific and political approach to be her best means of aiding mutants and psychics, as she does not have the experiential background to help in more personal ways. Astrea trusts Jarren and has a good deal of confidence in his abilities, though she sometimes find him to be too protective and too conventional when it comes to resolving issues, especially when it involves violence. For this reason, she thinks of Jarren as a trustworthy person to call upon for physical protection, though she is hesitant to involve him in other matters. Apocri, Crysia, and Masari Helios Description Porrim Maryam Description Aranea Serket Due to her reputation as the Marquise Spinneret Mindfang, Astrea was initally terrified of Aranea and considerd her a monster. However, upon meeting her Astrea found herself very shocked at how relatively calm and peaceful she was, and soon after developed a strong bond ith her due to their mutual psychic powers and love of literature. While she initially chalked it up to grim fascination with the subject matter, Astrea eventually came to admit that she rather enjoyed Aranea's writing style, and that in part some aspects of her own writng quirks were pulled from her journals. Astrea has on occasion tried to coerce Aranea to relinquish her other writings or write new ones, though she has only had partial success in doing so. As both an initially reluctant rainbow drinker and powerful psychic, Astrea often goes to Aranea for guidance, particularly with her unique growth problems. In this regard she trusts Aranea above most of the other family members, as she believes Aranea is the closest to knowing her exact predicaments. Astrea trusts Aranea deeply and puts a great deal of weight on her opinions. Tethys Helios Tethys is among the few trolls actually capable of inimidating Astrea with their presence. This is in part due to her immense rugged mental fortitude, but even more significantly because of her ties to the gods of the outer ring and dark magic. It was on Tethys' advisement that Astrea abandom magic altogether, largely out of fear of having her mind become like that of the ancestor. Other than on special occasions, Astrea rarely encounters Tethys, and rarely makes a point of visiting if she can help it. Lucife Belzeb Despite her initial distrust and general feelings of disgust towards Lucife (originally through his proxy form of Hannib), Astrea learned a great deal about him when she drank Vensin Verger's mind, and found herself shocked to learn that he shared a similar power to her and desired to aid her with her own. This came at an opportune time when her confidence in her moirail and sister Aphaea's ability to support her was sorely lacking. While still taking many precautions against the relatively unknown drinker, she was surprised to find that he made no effort to resist her. Astrea's initial fears that it was a trap eroded rapidly once Lucife shared more information with her, and it did not take long for her to warm up to him and appreciate him as a source of wisdom when it came to her powers. She views Lucife as a repentant devil, mending his ways by giving her salvation (rescuing her from becomming the monster she feels she may yet become). Her strong moral sentiments about using her powers are echoed by Lucife (albeit with a few differing qualifiers), and for this reason she trusts his advice a good deal. Astrea felt deeply hurt when Lucife retracted his proxy from her mind, effectively severing their means of communication, though his assurances served to inspire confidence in her, showing how significantly Lucife had managed to bolster her appreciation of her powers and trust in her own judgement. In his short time with her, Lucife has easily become one of her closest family members, despite the circumstances of their encounter. A'ira Helios Description Friends/Acquaintances Karkat Vantas Astrea holds her "Uncle Karkat" in high regard, considering him to be a true visionary and the key to the first successful revolution against the tyranny of the Condescension's empire. Whenever possible, Astrea has recorded and read transcripts of his speeches and writings, and deeply enjoys engaging in political discussion with him during his visits. He also enjoys listening to his various stories, and while she doesn't exactly share his taste in films and literature, bonds with him over their common interests. Though she does not admit it readily, his mutant blood is also a point of admiration to her, as it helped to convince her that even mutants are capable of inspiring the masses for a common good, something she worries about dealing with as a jadeblood psychic. One of the things Astrea most admires about Karkat is his clarity of mind, finding that he is remarkably straightforward and honest with his thoughts and beliefs regardless of his emotional state, something she considers to be rather rare. Unlike most other adults, he makes no effort to hide things from her and gives her straight answers about the way things are in addition to his opinions about them. Astrea finds his thought process to be remarkably well delineated and lacking in any show of arrogance, something he has admitted to her is a trait he gained with age. Karkat is a major source of inspiration for Astrea's own goals to take action against injustice and work towards her goals, and it is due to his influence that she desires to become a future member of his reformed government to continue his pursuits. Feferi Peixes Description Sollux Captor Description Eridan Ampora Description Rothan Oppara Description Garrus Vakari Description Mordin Sollus Description Callie Opheee Description Personality General description of their personality Quotes Quotes By Character *Quote 1 Quotes About Character *Quote 1 Trivia *Due to her Psychic drinking ability and drinker matronhood, Astrea is easily among the most potentially powerful trolls in Or8, with the capability of surpassing any other troll by simply consuming their mind and absorbing their knowledge. The only way in which another troll could hypothetically best her would be to use capabilities beyond those of a normal troll (such as a mutation), or to overpower her through an advantage in training or experience. Over time, however, the latter of these options would become less feasible. *Astrea's trolltag is based off of the term used for those who ascribe to the philosophies of John Milton, usually in association with his most famous work Paradise Lost. Astrea is an avid fan of the book, and has a habit of quoting it when she feels its messages are relevant. * Astrea's aggression lietmotif is Hostile Takeover. Category:Characters Category:Non-Canon Characters Category:Original Characters Category:Third Gen Characters Category:Rainbow Drinker Family Category:Astrea's Research Team Category:Trolls Category:Rainbow Drinkers Category:Psychics Category:Protagonists